Dave Chappelle on Saudi Comedy Money, Kimmel on Pro-Trump Comics, and Late-Night Uncertainty
April 22, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readDave Chappelle on Saudi Comedy Money, Kimmel on Pro-Trump Comics, and Late-Night Uncertainty
Jimmy Kimmel told Michelle Obama that some comedians supporting Donald Trump are "pretending to be something other than what they are in search of a—" and then he stopped himself. "Maybe they're not doing so great and they think, I'm gonna pick up this MAGA torch and maybe people will support me just 'cause of that." Michelle Obama agreed, calling it "a game, this is a hustle." Kimmel added, "More than not." That exchange, which aired on Michelle Obama's podcast, was one of several moments in the episode where the intersection of comedy and politics took center stage.
Dave Chappelle Defends Saudi Festival Money
Dave Chappelle sat down with NPR's Michael Martin and was pressed about his decision to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Chappelle's defense was blunt: his concerns faded when he looked at the broader relationship between Saudi Arabia and American entertainment. "The United States government does business with the Saudis, Netflix does business with the Saudis, the Saudis finance tons of movies," Chappelle said. Then he sharpened the point: "As soon as a black man can make money off the plantation, they try to tell you the money is dirty."
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What you'll learn
- 1 Main Outline
- 2 (01:43) **Dave Chappelle Defends Saudi Comedy Money** - Chappelle explains why he felt comfortable performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival after considering the broader U.S. and corporate relationship with Saudi Arabia.
- 3 (02:26) **Jimmy Kimmel Calls Out Pro-Trump Comedians as Hustlers** - On Michelle Obama's podcast, Kimmel accused some comics of pretending to hold political views just to gain an audience and make money.
- 4 (04:31) **The Grim Vibe on Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' Set** - Radar Online reports a "dark toxic vibe" as the show winds down, while a rumor about a massive Netflix deal is debunked.
- 5 (06:19) **John Oliver Jokes About Anxiety Over Warner Bros. Merger** - At a charity event, Oliver addressed his worry about the future of *Last Week Tonight* amidst the pending corporate merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount.
- 6 (06:45) **Kamal Bell on Performing After Trump's Kennedy Center Takeover** - Kamal Bell discusses his decision to perform in D.C. the day after Trump announced the takeover, arguing it's the perfect time for a comedian to be there.
- 7 (07:37) **James Austin Johnson on SNL, Notre Dame, and Trump** - The SNL cast member shared thoughts on Trump's politics, the makeup of SNL's writers' room, and a joke about handsome comedians.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
00:15 Chappelle and the Saudi Festival
00:55 Kimmel Calls Out Comics
03:06 Colbert Show Ending Rumors
04:50 John Oliver Merger Anxiety
05:14 W Kamau Bell On News
06:07 James Austin Johnson Bits
08:37 Zach Gardening Series
09:08 Comedy Gives Back Event
10:05 Jeff Ross Health Update
10:25 Draft Tease
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